Trunk



J. WOLF.

TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2|. 1919.

- Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Z W m 7M A J J. WOLF.

TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2|. 1919. 1 ,3 1 4,035 Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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g \wv/ 3 2 mfifm t fi ww A TTORNE X UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WOLF, 0F TOPEKA, KANSAS.

TRUNK.

Application filed April 21,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WVoLr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

The present invention is directed to improvements in wardrobe trunks, and has for its object the construction of a trunk the exposed surfaces of which shall be provided with fittings having practically no projecting parts likely to be broken or bent with the handling of the trunk; one in which the fittings shall possess maximum strength and compactness; one affording quick and ready access to the interior of the trunk; one which shall be strong, durable, light, and serviceable; and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 represents a top plan of a trunk having one form of my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the trunk; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the front interlocking fittings of the trunk body, the swinging section, and the top lid respectively; Fig. 6 is an edge view of the fittings shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an elevation of the rear interlocking fittings of the trunk body, the swinging section and the top lid respectively; Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5 looking upward; Fig. 9 is an elevation of the locking latch of the casing forming the fitting on the front wall of the swinging section, the wall of the casing being broken away to expose the latch mechanism; Fig. 10 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional detail on the line 1010 of Fig. 2; Fig. 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional detail on the line 11-11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 12 is an inside elevation of the top lid locking against the free edge of the lid; Fig. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional detail on the line. 13--13 of Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is a perspective diagrammatic view of the trunk swung open; Figs. 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, are views respectively similar to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4:, and 5, showing a slight modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, andifor the present to Figs. 1 to 1 inclusive, 1. repre Specification of Letters Patent.

of the lid at the Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

1919. Serial No. 291,572.

sents the body portion or stationary section of the trunk, 2 the vertical horizontally swinging or wardrobe section hinged to the section 1 along one of the vertical edges thereof and terminating a suitable distance below the top of the section 1, and 3 the top lid hinged to the section 2 on the side of the trunk. When the trunk is closed (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4,) the free edges of the lid 3 bear against the free edges of the body 1 above the section 2, the edges of the lid leading from the hinge axis bearing against the top edges of the wardrobe section 2. When the lid 3 is closed it is locked by a key-lock 4 of any approved type to the top of the section 1. The section 2 is provided with the usual valance 5 which covers the joint m between the sections 1 and 2, the lid 3 being provided at its free end with the valance 5 covering the joint m between the lid and the section 1, the bottom of the lid carrying the valance 5" which covers the seam 'm between the lid and the section 2. In the present embodiment of the invention the free end of the lid 3 is stiffened and reinforced by a sheet metal truss 6 engaging the inner arched wall of the lid, said truss being formed with an upwardly turned lip or flange or engaging the edge of the lid, the flange being enlarged at the corners of the truss into the triangular braces I) disposed in the plane of the flange, the lower ends of the braces terminating in lobes or foot pieces (I bent against and secured to the inner wall lower edge thereof (Figs. 12,1 3).

Disposed at the free end of the lid 3 directly over the valance 5' and extending around the corner of the lid to the lower edge of the valance 5" on the front wall of the trunk, is a fitting 7, a similar fitting 7 being likewise disposed at the opposite corner of the lid and extending along the rear wall of the trunk. Disposed on the front wall of the section 1 and extending around the top corner thereof is a fitting 8, the same being provided with a lug or wedge 9 projecting beyond the outer longitudinal ed e of the fitting, said lug overlapping tie wedge formation 10 on the fitting 7 when the lid 3 is closed. Formed in the fitting 8 below the bottom edge of the fitting 7 when the lid 3 has been swung to closed position, is a chamber 11 formed with the upper transverse wall or keeper12 disposed along the outer longitudinal edge of the fitting, the

front of the chamber being open for the reception of the locking end of a latch or catch 13 pivoted at its center in a hollow fitting 14 secured to the section 2 at the upper corner of the front wall thereof (Figs. 2, 5,) the outer lever arm of the latch having its free end positioned, toengage with the tongue or lug 15 projecting from the lower edge of the fitting 7 and operating through the top opening 01' mouth of the fitting 14. The outer lever arm of the latch 13 (the arm engaged by the tongue when the lid 3 is down) is forced upwardly or outwardly by a flexed spring 16 secured at one end in the hollow of the fitting 14, so that when the lid 8 is lifted or swung to open position the locking finger t terminating the opposite lever arm is forced out of engagement with the keeper 12, thereby permitting-the section 2 to be swung open (dotted position Fig. 1)

after the unlocking of the lock L by which the'lower portion of said section 2 is secured to the section 1, as will presently be more fully explained. The fitting 14 is likewise provided with a guide tongue 17 which enters the chamber 11 of the fitting 8 when the section 2 has been swung to closed position. It will be readily seen from Figs. 2, 5, and 9 (assuming that the lid 3 and section 2 have been swung to open position as shown in Fig. 14), that by swinging the. section 2 to closed position, the tongue 17 and latch 13 will freely enter the chamber 11 of the fitting 8, the. finger t of the latch (under the action of the spring 16 which holds the locking end of the latch depressed) readily clearing the lower edge of the-keeper 1 2. By now closing the lid 3 the tongue 15 thereof will enter the mouth 0 of the fitting 14 and strike the free end of the adjacent lever arm of the latch, depressing said arm and forcing or tripping the opposite arm upwardly so as to drive the finger t behind the keeper 12. This insure apositive locking of the section 2 to the section 1, the lid being subsequently locked to the section l'by the lock 4 (Fig. 1). At the same time the passage of the tongue 15 into the mouth 0 insures a rigid connection for the lid to the section 2, the interwedging of the parts 9 and 10 serving to guide the lid into place as the same is being lowered. Onv the opposite side of the lid the fitting 7 is provided with a tongue 18 which enters a socket 19'on the hinge leaf 20 secured to the swinging section 2, said leaf 20 being hinged to the leaf 21 ion the section 1, the lower portions of the rear walls of the sections 1 and2 being con.- nected by the hinge 22 of usual construction.

same carrying tongues 24 that are received by sockets 25 of fittings 26 secured to the swinging section 2, the members23, 26, forms ing hinge leaves by which the lid 3 is hinged trunk after the lid 3 has been swung to open position. The details of the lock here shown are not illustrated as the same are incorpo rated in my pending application, Serial Number" 291,571, filed April 21, 19-19. Suffi'ce it to say however that the same is provided with a spring-controlled locking latch 27 normallyengaged by a keeper 28 (on the section 1) against which it is held by the flexed spring 29, the latch being tripped by drawin on a rod 30 coupled to one end of the latch and guided along the insidewall of the swinging section 2 by straps 31, the upper end of the rod terminating in a finger hold. or eye e by which it may be manipulated. I/Vhen the section 2 is swung to closed position the latch 27 locks scribed, the valancev 50 is secured to the swinging section 2 and the valance 5 to the lid 3. In Figs. 15 to 18 there is a slight modification. In these thevalance 5 is secured to the stationary section 1. So too, have the fittings 7, 8, and 9 beenamodified. In the modified form (Figs. 15 to 19) in lieu of the fitting 7 I provide a fitting 40;

in lieu of thefitting 8, I providea fittting 41; and in lieu of the fitting 14, I provide a fitting 42. The fitting 40 is provided with tongues 43 and 44, the former being re: ceived by a socket 45 in the fitting 41, and the latter by a socket 46 in the fitting 42, said fitting 42 being provided with a socket 47 which receives the tongue 48 on the fitting 41. Again in lieu of the fitting 7 I employ in the modified form a fitting 49 carrying a tongue 50 which enters a socket 51 of a fitting 52 (on the section 1) the latter being substituted for the fitting 21 in the first form, the hinge-leaf 53 owing to a shifting of the valance 5 to the section 1, being disposed to one side of said valance, the hinge 22" at the lower end of the trunk (Fig. 18) being likewise so disposed. I11 lieu of the lock L, I substitute a lock L in the modified form, the latter lock requiring a latch 27 being a lever of the third class controlled by a flexed spring 29 and interlocking with a keeper 28 from which it may be disengaged by drawing on the rod 30 the same as in the first form described. In other respects the modified form is the same as the main form, corresponding parts being designated by the same reference numerals- In both the original and the modification it will be seen that the lid .3 upon closing becomes interlocked with the sections 1 and 2, the section 2 in the main form being additionally latched to the section 1 by the action of the tongue 1.5 of the lid 3 upon the latch 13 (Fig. 9). I may of course change the details in many particulars without departing from the nature or spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a wardrobe trunk, a body portion, a wardrode section hinged thereto, a lid hinged to the wardrobe section, a pivoted latch on the wardrobe section, a fitting on the body portion having a chamber for receiving the locking end of the latch, a keeper adjacent said chamber, and a lug on the lid for tripping the latch into locking engagement with the keeper with a closing movement of the lid against the Wardrobe section, when the latter section has been swung to closed position against the body portion.

2. In a wardrobe trunk, a body portion or section, a vertical horizontally swinging wardrobe section hinged thereto, a recessed fitting on the wall of the wardrobe section opposite the hinge axis thereof, a fitting on the body cooperating therewith upon the closing of the wardrobe section against the body portion, a lid hinged to the wardrobe section at the upper end of the wall contiguous to the wall hinged to the body portion, a fitting at the free end of the lid cooperating with the aforesaid fittings on the body and wardrobe section, a pivoted latch Copies of this patent may be obtained for I tion hinged thereto, a

mounted in the recess of the fitting carried by the wardrobe section, and a member on the lid fitting cooperating with said latch to effect a positive locking of the wardrobe section to the body portion.

3. In a wardrobe trunk, a body portion or section, a vertical horizontally swinging secfitting 0n the wall of the vertical section opposite the hinge axis of said section, a fitting on the body provided with a chamber, a keeper adjacent the chamber, a spring-controlled latch on the fitting carried by the swinging section, said latch terminating in a locking finger free to enter the chamber of the fitting on the body portion with a closing movement of the hinged section, a lid hinged to the swinging section at the upper end of the wall opposite the body portion, a fitting on the lid, and means on the fitting for tripping the latch against the tension of the spring and forcing the locking finger thereof behind the keeper aforesaid, whereby the swinging section is positively locked to the body portion, and suitable tongues and sockets on the several fittings operating to interlock said fittings with closing movement of the swinging section and lid.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WOLF.

Witnesses CHARLES PASHO, CHARLES PAoKn'r.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

